Allison Wonderland
by CarpeDiemForLife
Summary: Relaxing one day beside her favorite pond, Allison finds herself pulled into an entirely new world. Trying to find her way home, Allison realizes that the friends she has made along the way may be hard to leave behind. Hatter/OC
1. Into the Frog Pond

**Chapter One**

**~Into the Frog Pond~**

Allison absentmindedly ran her finger through the water, her homework forgotten as she sprawled out on the soft earth. The sky above was a perfect blue with idyllic white clouds in the foreground. The breeze was present enough that it felt nice under the warm sun, but light enough that it did not ruffle Allison's hair or clothes. Allison was lying on her back, staring vaguely up at the sky as her hand made circles in the pond.

The pond lay in a clearing in the forest just outside of St. Andrews' campus. St. Andrews was in Scotland, and was the college that Allison was attending for her third year. Over the course of those years Allison had spent a great deal of time exploring the lay of the land, being from America herself, not Scotland. Allison fell in love with the open space and the beautiful landscapes, and she felt right at home. This serene pond was her absolute favorite place to visit. Allison found that the calm water relaxed her, and the soft grass and gentle trees were truly like her own personal haven.

Smiling happily, Allison noticed a cloud above her that looked rather like a butterfly. Raising a finger she traced the outline of the image before it dispersed, floating away. Closing her eyes Allison took a deep breath to allow herself to absorb the crisp, nature scent. Such a pleasing scent it was.

Opening her eyes moments later, Allison's brow crinkled in confusion. Had that cloud really been there before? Right now there was a cloud just above her, but Allison hadn't noticed it at all before, and Allison thought she would have noticed, seeing as she was rather focused on the airy shapes above. Dismissing it as her own lack of observation, Allison raised a finger once more. Allison again traced the cloud's outline, only this time she noticed that it looked more like a cat's head.

A croak sounded loudly right beside the dreamy girl. Turning to the sound, Allison found herself staring right into a very large pair of yellow eyes: frog eyes. With another croak, the frog hopped even closer to her. Gently she extended a hand, wondering what it would be like to pet a frog.

Sounding a croak again, the frog jumped away from Allison's touch. Allison rose from her position on the ground and hesitantly crawled towards the frog. Each time Allison got close, the frog would take another hop away. Feeling somehow challenged, Allison relentlessly continued to pursue the frog, grinning in amusement all the time.

Soon the frog turned towards the pond. On her knees, at the very edge of the water, Allison reached out once more. As she saw the frog beginning to move again, she lunged forward without thinking.

Suddenly drenched, Allison's first thought was shock and amazement that the pond was clearly not as shallow as she'd thought. Before she could think any more, Allison began to feel a pulling sensation.

Looking down quickly, Allison thought she could see a type of whirlwind forming on the bottom of the pond. The pull of the whirlwind increased rapidly and Allison let out a cry as she was sucked towards it. Of course, Allison had forgotten that crying out loud under water is never the best idea.

Now with a throat and lungs seared by her intake of water, Allison uselessly struggled towards the surface of the water, but in a flash, the pond was gone.

Allison was engulfed by a constricting darkness. Feeling as if she were being pushed in on all sides, suffocated, Allison found herself unable to breathe as she was seized helplessly in the black tunnel.

Suddenly Allison slammed into something very hard. Coughing to expel the water from her lungs, Allison weakly pushed herself up from the ground, shaking off the water as much as she could. Looking around her, Allison saw that she was still standing beside the pond. Everything else however, had changed.

No more were the grass, the trees, the blue sky, the clouds. Gone was the cool air, the light breeze. Instead, a scorching hot sun beat down upon Allison as she stood horrorstruck in a barren wasteland with ground like red dust. Aside from the pond there was no sign of life, or indeed any sort of gentleness around her.

"Excuse me?"

Allison whirled about as she heard the voice, but there was no one there. Puzzled, Allison saw that the frog she had chased was beside the pond, the only life form near her.

Already beginning to sweat from the uncomfortable blazing heat, Allison peered closely at the frog. It looked normal enough.

"Are you Alice?" Allison gave a small cry of surprise but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. There was no doubt about it. That frog was speaking to her.

_Go with the flow Allison_, she told herself. Although Allison felt somewhat nervous and frightened at this strange occurrence, more than anything she was curious and intrigued.

"I'm sorry?" she responded.

"You must be Alice!" exclaimed the small, high-pitched voice. "Oh I knew it was Alice! I've heard so many stories about Alice, but I wasn't born yet when you slayed the Jabberwocky. Oh but I found you I found you! I saw you, and I _knew _it must be Alice!"

"I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken," said Allison kindly, "You see, I'm Allison-"

"Yes yes!" interrupted the frog excitedly. "_Alice_ _in_ Wonderland. Yes I've heard how you always called it that. How sweet how sweet! But why did you come through this way? Why did you not go to the rabbit hole as before?" Opening her mouth to respond, Allison was not given a chance to speak as the over-excited frog began to hop with excitement.

"Oh never mind! It doesn't matter now! Come on, we must go see the Hatter! He's been dying to see you Alice. Don't tell him I told you, but he talks about you very often. Poor Hatter. Oh but we all love him so very dearly. Come on come on!"

The frog started hopping away, clearly expecting Allison to follow. Obediently Allison trailed after her. All the while, the frog continued to speak some utter nonsense about a place she referred to as 'Underland' and strange names like 'March Hare' and 'Jabberwocky'.

"I don't think you're understanding me," Allison attempted to call out once. "I'm _Allison_, not Alice. I don't know who you mean but it isn't me."

Giving a sigh, Allison was forced to accept the fact that the frog was just going to continue rambling, despite her protests.

Resigning herself to simply stay quiet, Allison tried to focus on what her guide told her, but there was too much of what the frog said that she simply didn't understand. Even aside from that, the burning hot sun and endless horizon of hard ground and red dust began to take its toll. All dampness had already evaporated from Allison's clothes, and she was now sweating profusely. Allison's eyesight was becoming a bit hazy, a bit dizzy, and the sweat made her skinny jeans cling to her legs uncomfortably. The soles of her laced black shoes were becoming hot, and Allison found it increasingly hard to ignore.

"Alice? Alice?" asked a persistent, concerned little voice. Allison glanced over at the frog and realized that she had subconsciously stopped walking and was bending over at the waist from dizziness and exhaustion. Allison squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to restore her vision, but the haze remained.

"I'm not... I'm..." she mumbled.

"Ooohh Alice, come come hurry hurry!" cried her frog friend. "We are almost to the edge, yes: almost to Underland. Don't despair! Just push through a bit more! Please Alice. Please try!"

Forcing her feet to continue moving forward, Allison forced herself to follow the frog, led on by its constant streams of encouragement. Finally, Allison looked up to find that they were quite nearly to the edge of a forest. Putting all her strength into rushing forward, Allison quickly reached the luscious wooded area.

The transition from the wasteland to the forest was unnatural. There was no slow change, no land between them to link the absolutely opposite areas: just the red dust-land directly bordering the lively, moist forest. The ground was green and soft, and the trees loomed high above Allison. Aside from that, the forest was different than anything on Earth, Allison was sure.

"This is trippy," she murmured. "I never had hallucinations this strange even when I was high."

"What?" asked the frog, friendly as ever.

"Oh, nothing, sorry. So tell me, where are we?"

"Don't be silly Alice! We're in Underland! I'm sorry the journey here was so rough, yes I'm sorry. But don't fret! We'll soon see all of your old friends. They'll be thrilled to see you!"

Shaking her head at the frog's confused- but consistent- idea of her, Allison followed as the frog once more took the lead. Looking around her, she took in the incredible sights, smells, and sounds around her.

The plants all seemed rather large, just to begin with. Besides that, there was plenty of greenery that Allison had never even seen before, although greenery was hardly a proper word to describe them. There were huge leaves of red, blue, purple; there were trees with speckled trunks, sparkling vines, all manner of odd, yet beautiful, things. All of the colors seemed more vibrant than any colors Allison had ever seen before.

The plant life was not the only fascinating thing she observed. All throughout the forest were strange and new creatures. Allison saw in the distance what appeared to be very very short men, but of a stockier build than the normal human. Their skin looked green and leathery and they tottered about heavily as they ran. Shortly after, Allison observed what she would swear was a faerie: it was small, looked human, but flitted through the air with shimmering wings. There were miniature, flying rocking-horses; there were little black creatures rolling over the forest ground that looked like spiky balls of darkness.

Completely overwhelmed, Allison forgot to look where she was going and she walked straight into a boulder. To her immense surprise, the rock was not solid like it appeared. The rock was solid alright, but it bended around her with a softness like landing on a squishy foam mattress. Allison merely laughed and stepped away from the rock, hurrying after her little froggy friend.

"Almost there!" shouted the frog. "Can't you hear it?" Now that she was listening, Allison could indeed hear something through the trees. It sounded like a party! As they got closer Allison could better hear all of the laughing, singing, and clanking of cups.

Stepping between a few trees, Allison found that they were in a clearing. In front of her was a windmill, but the windmill was not working. Instead, the windmill had been painted a bright white with blue blades. There was a neon rainbow sign that read 'Tea Time', underneath which was an open door. Through that door was where the ruckus appeared to be occurring. Allison could see only a bit, but she saw that it was like a pub. There were tables set up inside with all manner of creatures seated (or not) and drinking, socializing loudly with one another.

Allison stepped over the threshold, amazed at the sight around her: talking animals of all kinds along with an assortment of creatures that Allison had never seen before.

Before Allison had a chance to look over everything around her, the frog hopped closer to the center of the room.

"Look!" it cried. "Look, I've found Alice!"

Immediately the noise and merriment ceased as everyone in the room turned to Allison in surprise. Some looked shocked, some amazed, some confused. But Allison's eyes were drawn to a man standing behind the counter, for he had not turned around like all the others.

From the back, Allison could only see that he wore a hat, a long coat, and that his hair was mightily odd. The color was bright flaming orange, and it stuck out to the right and left of his head in tufts.

"Alice?" she heard him repeat softly. Finally, he spun around. The broad grin he wore revealed a gap between his teeth, and Allison now saw that his face was extremely white, and his eyes a vibrant pink color.

Slowly the man's smile faded as he viewed the young woman. Allison watched in fascination as his eyes shifted from pink to blue, but she felt guilty as she saw his face fall, becoming completely empty and dejected.

"Not Alice," he whispered to himself. "Of course not Alice."

The frog jumped about nervously, looking between Allison and the Hatter.

"But she... she found the way here! She said she was Alice!" it exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but I never said that. I'm _Allison_, not Alice. I tried to tell you, but you were too eager to come here." The frog flushed and backed up in embarrassment.

"You don't need to be embarrassed," she said kindly. "Obviously Alice is very important to you all." Turning to the man who was now slumped against the counter and staring blankly at the floor, Allison continued,

"I'm sorry to have gotten your hopes up; I didn't mean to hurt you in any way."

"Not Alice, _never_ Alice..." muttered the man.

"Hatter!" cried a little mouse as she ran over the counter towards the odd man. "Come on Hatter, snap out of it! We have a girl here, we ought to, I don't know, _do _something about her."

The Hatter's head snapped up and he looked at the mouse.

"Why does Alice never return, Dormouse?"

"Hatter," she repeated insistently gesturing towards Allison. Finally the Hatter turned his head to the woman.

"I'm fine," he said weakly. "Sorry. How did you come to Underland?"

"Well, I just followed the frog..." answered Allison. Now she turned to her guide. "What _is_ your name, by the way?"

"Oh! I am Novindera," said the frog. "Hatter, she came through the frog pond." The Hatter turned to Allison with a look of puzzlement.

"Why on earth did you come through _that _way?"

"Well I didn't exactly do it on purpose," she pointed out. The Hatter made a face at her.

"Well... you dress funny," he shot back lightly. Allison laughed in amazement that he thought her clothes were funny. She was wearing light blue skinny jeans and a loose, white blouse. The Hatter on the other hand was sporting a spotted bowtie, colorful gloves, a frilly purple shirt, and his face in itself was like an explosion of color. Allison was immensely interested to notice that his eyes were now a light green, no longer blue or pink.

"Me?" she cried incredulously. "This is _normal_. What about _you?_"

Ignoring her, the Hatter turned to Novindera.

"And what were you doing in her world?" Novindera blinked nervously.

"Well sir, I am one of the sentries set to watch the Knave of Hearts and the bloody Red Queen. I often visit the frog pond after my shift ends, and well... I kept seeing this girl on the other side. She made ripples in the water and she came back so often that I thought... well I thought she must be Alice, trying to return. So I went through and brought her back."

"I see," said the Hatter thoughtfully.

"Well what are we going to _do _with her?" cried Dormouse.

"_Do_ with me?" repeated Allison. "I feel like I'm on trial here. I haven't done anything wrong, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like some sort of problem."

"But, as it so happens, your presence here _does_ present a problem," replied the Hatter, but not unkindly. "No one from your side has ever come to Underland before. No one but Alice. That is the way it is meant to be, you see."

"Well that isn't my fault," said Allison stubbornly. "I'm sorry, but maybe you could relax about your idea of what is 'meant to be' or not. It sounds like you believe in destiny or something."

"Fate, destiny, call it what you will, but don't underestimate it," lectured the Hatter firmly.

"How are we going to get her home?" Dormouse asked the Hatter. The Hatter began to respond, but he was interrupted by a softer, older voice.

"Take her to see Absolem." Everyone turned to face an old hound dog that came panting up to Allison.

"Absolem will know the best course to take," continued the dog.

"Bayard..." began the mouse, but the Hatter silenced her. Smiling at Allison, he swept his hat off his head and gave her a bow.

"Come with me."

Feeling rather confused, Allison followed as the Hatter strolled carelessly out of the tea shop.

"Who's Absolem?" she asked.

"The Blue Butterfly," was his answer.

"And why are we going to see him?"

"Absolem is wise!" said the Hatter proudly. "He will know how to get you home. Or not."

"Or not? But I will have to go home at some point," she told him.

"Well," said the Hatter, "there aren't too many ways to do that unfortunately. But perhaps... perhaps Absolem will know a way, hmm?"

The two continued their walk in silence, each turning to examine the other every once in a while.

"You truly do look rather strange..." mused the Hatter with a funny grin.

"Why do you keep saying that?" asked Allison curiously.

"Well- that is- you look much... _different_ than Alice," he tried to explain. "Alice always wore dresses, and her hair was very blonde and... uncut."

"Uncut?"

"Well, yes. Yours is so short!" he exclaimed, lightly reaching out a hand to touch her hair (which was styled in a pixie cut).

"And your hair has different colors in it. How does it do that?"

"I highlighted it," she told him. "My natural color is dark brown, but the dark red that you see I put there myself."

"Fascinating," he whispered, seeming truly interested.

"Ah! Here we are!" cried the Hatter as he swept his arms out grandly. Allison looked around them.

"I don't see anything." The Hatter made a face at her before smirking slightly. Reaching out, the Hatter drew aside a massive leaf blocking their path. Walking past the leaf, Allison felt as if she had entered some kind of courtroom.

The area was clear, a small empty space in the forest. A tree stump lay before them, upon which a blue butterfly was poised on high.

"What is it, Hatter?" sounded a dull, deep voice. Allison's eyebrows rose in surprise. The voice seemed to come from nowhere, and yet it echoed all around them. Seeing no other possibility, Allison concluded that it was in fact the butterfly, Absolem, that was speaking.

"I have come to seek your counsel," explained the Hatter. "A girl from Alice's world has found her way here, and we don't know how to get her back."

"Alice?" repeated the voice, sounding mildly interested. "Step forward, girl."

Obediently Allison stepped up to the stump. The butterfly flapped its wings gently, and Allison found herself mesmerized by its sharp blue color.

"And who are you?" droned Absolem.

"I'm Allison."

"_Not _Alice then."

"No, not Alice," she confirmed definitively.

"But are you sure that you are Allison?"

"Well... yes...?" replied Allison hesitantly, wondering whether or not she was comprehending the question. It seemed too dumb a question to actually have been asked. Was it, therefore, a trick question?

"You are a pathetic girl," criticized the butterfly, "Can you not even tell me confidently who you are?"

Allison's mind whirled in confusion. What was he asking of her? Before she could compose her thoughts, the blue butterfly continued to speak.

"Right now there is no way for you to return to your home. You must stay here until the opportunity presents itself."

"But I can't stay!" protested Allison. "I've got an exam tomorrow!"

"That is all I have to say. Go away now, pathetic girl." Allison did not allow his insult to prickle her, so instead she politely inclined her head and backed away, leaving his presence. The Hatter was right behind her.

"I don't understand," she said slowly, "how am I to get home?"

"Well," replied the Hatter energetically, "I don't think you can. Ha ha! Isn't that _fun_?" The Hatter's enjoyment did not seem to be at Allison's expense: he sincerely seemed to think that the idea was fun. His laugh was jovial and brought a smile to Allison's lips, despite her inner turmoil at the strange situation.

"You sir, are quite mad," teased Allison. The Hatter laughed and winked at Allison.

"I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are!"

"Is that so Hatter?"

"Yes indeed, Al-" the Hatter stopped, the word stuck in his throat. "Al-"

"Allison," she said gently, assuming that his trouble was with the similarity between her name and Alice's. The Hatter made a face at this and shook his head.

"No I don't think I like that." Although Allison knew that the Hatter was being serious, the way he spoke was still very endearing and she gave a tinkling laugh. Suddenly a bright smile lit the Hatter's face and he turned to her excitedly.

"From this moment on, I deem you... Pixie!" he proclaimed.

"What, that's what you're going to call me?" she clarified.

"Yes," he confirmed, nodding his head for emphasis, "because with that hair and button nose, you look just like a pixie! If only you had wings..." The Hatter looked rather solemn for a moment, contemplating this.

A thought came suddenly to the Hatter and he gave a devilish grin.

"And I might know just where to get you some. Come on!"

The Hatter grabbed Allison's hand and pulled her along with him through the forest. Enjoying herself immensely, Allison allowed herself to be led on by her exuberant new friend.

_What a world I've come to_... she thought in amazement. _I only hope that it is not all a dream._


	2. Pixie Gets Her Wings

**Chapter Two**

**~Pixie Gets Her Wings~**

"The March Hare has recently developed a particularly interesting concoction," the Hatter told Allison brightly.

"Who's the March Hare?" she asked. The Hatter looked at her confusedly and he opened his mouth to respond. Closing it again, he seemed to think it through.

"Ah," he finally said. "I see. He wasn't there when you came to our Tea shop earlier today."

"No, he wasn't," confirmed Allison. "Does he run the business with you?" The Hatter nodded emphatically.

"It's run by me, mmm- Mallymkun, and the March Hare. We opened the shop just after Frabjuos Day!"

"Frabjuos Day?" The Hatter's eyes lit up brightly in recollection.

"Yes! The day that Alice slayed the Jabberwocky. The day that..."

Suddenly the Hatter stopped walking, and the energy seemed to drain from him as his shoulders slouched and his head dropped.

"Hatter?" asked Allison cautiously, peering at him. His eyes were open and staring at the ground in a glaze. His eyes were blue.

"Hatter," she repeated more firmly. The Hatter slowly straightened up as he looked over at her.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said softly, not meeting her eyes.

"Hatter, do your eyes change color depending on your mood?" asked Allison. Slowly, the Hatter nodded, though his thoughts were obviously still preoccupied with other things.

Grabbing her friend's hand boldly, Allison was glad to see that the Hatter was startled out of his reverie and his eyes grew wide as he looked at their joined hands. Though the Hatter had himself taken her hand earlier, it had been a more careless gesture, merely to make sure she followed him. This was more deliberate, more meaningful.

"Come on Hatter," she said gently. "Weren't you going to give me wings?"

The Hatter searched her hazel eyes and suddenly a large grin burst onto his face and his eyes popped with a bright green color.

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed. "Come come Pixie, we have much work to do!"

"Are you sure this is safe?" The object in question was a white dessert, about the size of a thumb, which was being proffered to Allison.

"Oh yes, it's quite safe," he assured her. Turning to the March Hare, who stood behind a counter in the royal kitchens, the Hatter addressed him. "Isn't that right?"

Not even waiting for a response, the Hatter calmly ducked down. Right over his head a small plate flew by, crashing into the wall behind with a loud smashing sound. Allison stepped closer to the Hatter, worried, but the Hatter merely smiled.

"He means no harm," he said quietly, smiling in amusement at his old friend's antics.

"Of _course_ it's safe!" exclaimed the Hare, his peculiar tone of voice rather amusing to Allison. "I tried and tested it myself!" The Hatter grimaced sympathetically.

"That can't have been comfortable." Allison's jaw dropped in shock.

"Why not? And you're going to give it to me?" The Hatter chuckled lightly.

"No need to fear, my little Pixie. Hares are not meant to have wings, but humans- you lot are _much_ more suitable!"

"'You lot'?" she repeated curiously. "Are you not human yourself Hatter?"

The Hatter only responded with a shrug, a smirk and a cute wrinkling of his nose.

"Now here!" he said gleefully, holding out what looked like a powdered doughnut to her. "Eat up!"

Feeling much more excited than apprehensive, Allison took the sugary sweet into her own fingers and peered at it intensely for a moment before popping it into her mouth. The Hatter clapped his hands from excitement and the March Hare began to bounce around the kitchen, hooting and banging on pots.

"When will the effects take hold?" she asked. The Hatter opened his mouth to respond, but then his brow crinkled and he put a finger to his lips. He turned to the Hare.

"That's a good question. When _will_ they take hold?"

"Very _sooooooooooon_!" cried the Hare, completely taken over by his crazy mood.

"And... it's time for us to be going!" said the Hatter lightly. The way he said it sounded humorous to Allison so she laughed brightly, allowing herself to be led out of the room by him.

"He's loads of fun," she said truthfully, a broad grin stretched across her face. The Hatter nodded emphatically.

"Oh yes, indeed. The March Hare is one of my very dearest friends! A bit odd at times, but well, so am I, I suppose."

The duo had wound their way out of the White Queen's palace, now finding themselves in her extensive gardens.

"My back is itching," said Allison suddenly. Moving her hand to scratch her back, Allison's arms were both grabbed by the Hatter.

"No no no!" he said forcefully. "You mustn't touch. Your hands could get in the way of your wings and we wouldn't want that!"

The itch was overpowering now, and Allison sorely wanted to yank her hands free to scratch. In fact, she began to weakly attempt such a thing before she realized... the Hatter had a surprisingly strong grip.

_And yet his hands are so delicate and soft..._ she thought, rather interested in the whole thing.

"Alright," she grumbled teasingly, like a child. "I won't scratch." The Hatter smiled sassily but did not release his grip.

"Well I'll keep a hold just to make sure," he teased.

"So tell me Pixie," continued the Hatter, "what is your world like?"

"Well... I don't know," she replied instantly, unsure where to even begin. "What do you want to know about?"

"Tell me how you got to the Frog Pond," he requested.

"Oh, well that pond is just outside of my college campus." Allison was met with a blank stare. "Um, I go to an institution where I study and take classes to learn about things I'm interested in. The pond is near there. It's in Scotland. I'm not from Scotland myself though; I'm from America."

"What is your institution like?" he asked, green eyes becoming tinged with silver flecks. Allison wondered momentarily if silver meant curiosity, before she answered his question.

"College is fantastic. I feel so free, and I've met plenty of nice people. I'm a marine biology major, which means that I get to learn a lot about underwater creatures and the like. The college I'm going to has a nice large campus and the building is made of old stone. It feels so medieval, like a fantasy almost. I love it! I've drawn so many pictures of the college, and other sites in Scotland."

"You like to draw?"

"Oh yes!" she exclaimed passionately. "Drawing is what I love most, particularly watercolor painting."

"Well, I think you have found something new and beautiful to paint," said the Hatter, smiling as if he held a secret. Allison simply tilted her head at him.

"Oh? What?" The Hatter let go of her arms.

"Is your back itching anymore?" With a start, Allison realized that in fact, it wasn't. Instinctively her hands reached back quickly.

"Careful!" cautioned the Hatter earnestly. Allison nodded and slowed her movements, continuing to reach towards her back. Suddenly, her fingers met with a soft material. The texture was like a very thin, old, crispy leaf, and though she imagined it must be delicate, it did not break or crumble at Allison's touch.

"Hatter..." she whispered in amazement. He grinned at her.

"Yes Pixie?"

"This is... incredible," she managed to say. "I have _wings_! This is unreal. You're wonderful Hatter." Impulsively Allison leaned forward and kissed the Hatter excitedly on the cheek before whirling about and spinning in a circle a few feet away.

"I have wings!" she shouted to the sky, as if to yell all the way back to her own world.

"Now would you like to try and use them?" asked the Hatter seriously, a soft smile on his face. Immediately Allison felt nervous, but she nodded her head, watching as he stepped very close to her.

"Close your eyes." Allison did as she was bid. "Now, focus on the muscles you didn't have before. Feel them there, experiment. Try flapping your wings gently. It's alright to just roll your shoulders or move your back at first before you get the hang of it. Come on now, just try."

Allison couldn't resist his encouragement, so at the risk of looking like an idiot, she began to wiggle her back, trying to feel her new wing muscles. Surprisingly, it did not take her long.

After a minute of moving her back, she became aware of the way her wings felt and reacted. From there it was a bit of a difficult step to consciously affecting her wing muscles, but Allison made that step quickly, and from there it soon became mere thought. Allison simply had to think about moving her wings and they would do so, as happens with all other movements, like walking or waving a hand.

"Are you ready to fly, my dear Pixie?" whispered the Hatter excitedly, squeezing her arms in support. Allison nodded joyfully and looked up to the sky. Slowly she began to flap her wings. The speed increased until her wings were beating incredibly rapidly. After a moment Allison felt her feet lifting from the ground. Looking down as the ground fell away from her, Allison laughed gaily and spread her arms.

After rising into the air, Allison quickly took an angle and went soaring off into the air, flying over the castle: the old battlements, the lush gardens, the stone courtyards. Allison felt as she never had before. What an invigorating feeling, to have the wind rushing by you and the world rushing beneath you! It was a completely new perspective on the world, on everything that Allison had ever known.

Allison spun gracefully, performing a beautiful dance in the air. When she made her way back over to where the Hatter stood, she saw that another figure stood beside him. As she slowly made a descent, Allison could now also hear that the woman was clapping lightly, and a gentle smile played on her face. Her pale skin, extravagant white dress, and white hair could only mean one thing: the White Queen.

Landing on the ground in front of the Queen, Allison curtseyed immediately, but then felt like an idiot. How silly must it look to be curtseying in skinny jeans?

"Oh my dear, rise, please," pleaded the Queen, extended her hand graciously. Allison rose, stunned by the Queen's gentle beauty.

"That was quite lovely," complimented the Queen, gesturing vaguely into the sky.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," replied Allison.

"Yes indeed Pixie," cut in the Hatter, his ever exuberant smile still present on his lips. "You are quite a natural at flying! It was marvelous!"

"How would you two like to join me for dinner this evening?" offered the Queen grandly. The Hatter grinned and tilted his head at Allison.

"What do you think, Pixie?"

"That sounds splendid, Your Majesty," answered Allison, returning the Queen's smile. The Queen began to glide away, and Allison followed behind her excitedly, making a funny face at the Hatter, simply because she was in such high spirits that acting strangely did not seem, well... strange.

The Hatter laughed silently and made a face at her in return. Allison had to bite on her own hand gently to stifle her own laughter, but the Queen did not seem to notice.

"Am I dressed appropriately enough?" Allison whispered to the Hatter as they made their way into the palace.

"You are dressed just fine," he assured her just as quietly. "You look rather splendid."

"Thank you Hatter," she said, smiling. The Hatter glanced at her and winked, a teasing smile playing on his lips, making Allison's smile grow to a whole-hearted grin. There was something irresistibly charming about the Hatter, Allison decided. On the whole, she was very glad that she'd gotten to meet him, even if it meant falling through a pond and traveling through the desert from hell.

The Hatter was worth it.

"That's not..."

"No of course it's not. It couldn't be, what now."

"But now, if it were it could be. Why now not?"

"But it weren't, because she ain't now no more."

"Then, when?"

"'Sides, she don't even look like her, does she?"

Allison turned her head slowly to the Hatter, but she did not avert her eyes from the two strange men sitting across from her, Tweedledee and Tweedledum as she'd just learned.

"Do they always speak that way?" she murmured, trying to keep her voice down.

"Oh yes!" responded the Hatter as he piled some turkey onto his plate. Allison cleared her throat as the two boys continued to stare at her curiously, though they had now fallen silent.

"Hello," she said with a confident smile. "I'm-" About to say 'Allison', she glanced quickly over at the Hatter, who was eating, not paying any attention to their conversation. She smiled slightly.

"I'm Pixie," she finished.

"Pixie? No, can't be pixie, most definitely human."

"Well she says pixie, so she's pixie, don't you see?"

"But she's too big, no could be-"

"But if she weren't, she could be."

"But she is!"

"She's got wings, look."

"If-"

Allison cleared her throat again, interrupting their dispute.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you. I'm very much human, I just go by the name Pixie, and these wings are from a sweet that I took earlier. But yes, I'm human."

"I told you so."

"Did not, ya guessed!"

"Same thing innit?"

"It would be the same thing if it were, but it ain't."

"So," exclaimed the White Queen in a rather chipper voice, "Pixie is it? It's wonderful to have you in Underland. I'm so sorry that we cannot return you home right now, but I'm sure an opportunity will arise soon, if that is what you wish."

"Yes it is, thank you," replied Allison. "And thank you for having me for dinner. The feast is wonderful."

"Why thank you!" the Queen said kindly. "Our chef will be glad to hear that you think so."

"The March Hare," muttered the Hatter for Allison's benefit.

"This is bonkers," Allison whispered back.

"Why do you say so?"

"Well I feel as though I've fallen into some fantastical story," explained Allison amusedly, "and like I'll wake at any minute." The Hatter flinched.

"I wish you wouldn't say that." Allison looked at him in surprise and saw that he seemed rather serious.

"Hatter?"

"It's just something Alice used to say. She used to believe that this was all a dream and that none of it was real. That _I... _wasn't real." Allison could tell that Alice's words had truly hurt the Hatter, perhaps even made him paranoid that such a thing was true.

"Well now, we know that isn't true," she said firmly, "because Alice is not here and yet you and I are existing together, and I believe that you're real."

"You do?" he whispered painfully, barely daring to trust her, but simultaneously desperately needing to hear those words from someone.

"Oh yes."

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't bear it if you weren't."

The Hatter's eyes flashed to Allison's, surprised by her answer.

"Couldn't... bear it?"

"Yes Hatter," she confirmed. "I know we've only met today but... you're so wonderful. I couldn't bear it if you weren't real. So I choose to believe that you are. You have to have faith in these sorts of things. I choose to believe in you because I wouldn't have it any other way."

"That makes me very happy," said the Hatter honestly, a small smile spreading across his face as he nodded his head for emphasis.

"I can see that. Your eyes have begun to sparkle," she teased. It was true though. His bright green eyes danced happily at her proclamation, and the sparkle was truly something beautiful to behold.

When dinner ended, the Hatter escorted Allison out of the castle and she was startled to see how dark the sky had grown. And yet... the stars seemed brighter in this world than her own, just like the colors and the personality of the place. It was wonderful.

"Would you, erm... care to stay at the shop tonight?" asked the Hatter shyly. "I know it probably isn't the most comfortable, or what you would prefer, but I'm afraid I don't have anywhere else to put you, after all your coming was rather a surprise and I didn't know to prepare, not that I could have done much, but I might have..."

Allison's eyebrows rose as her friend began to ramble, getting more intense all the time.

"Hatter!" she interrupted him. Closing his mouth abruptly, the Hatter paused for a moment, before sending her a small smile.

"I'm fine," he said softly, with a voice that sounded almost hoarse. "Thank you."

"I would be very appreciative if I could stay in your shop tonight," she told him. The Hatter beamed at her.

"Wonderful! Well come then, we've got a ways to travel."

Allison thought back to their trip earlier from the forest to the palace. It had taken quite some time.

"It will be quite a long walk," she said aloud. "Hatter... it is _safe_ out there, isn't it?"

"Oh of course!" he assured her brightly. "However, we won't have to walk." Just at that moment a white carriage drawn by two white horses pulled up in front of them. The Hatter grinned at Allison.

"The Queen always sends a carriage to take me home when I stay for dinner," he explained. Allison smiled in relief and followed the Hatter up into the carriage.

"Thank you for letting me stay at your place," said Allison sincerely.

"My pleasure!" the Hatter said grandly, and the carriage began to rumble beneath them, carrying them over the land, back to the Hatter's abode.


	3. Fly With Me

**Chapter Three**

**~Fly With Me~**

Several days passed. There had still been no word of when or how she might return home, so she had been spending her time with Hatter and the other inhabitants of Underland. Allison had once asked why she could not simply go back home the same way she had come, but no one would hear of it. She was told that the pond was in the Outlands, a place of terror and banishment.

_That explains a lot_... thought Allison. But as it was, no one dared to go to the Outlands, and they would not let her go alone either. Too dangerous, they said. Being a rather patient and calm person, Allison accepted this, and stayed put. She forced herself not to worry about the days of school she was missing- might as well make the most of such a wonderful experience when she could.

Allison got plenty of flying practice during those few days. The feeling never ceased giving her the same thrill it had the first time, and she could not remember ever enjoying anything as much. Flying, actually flying, was better than any high that smoking had ever given her. Nothing compared, nothing at all.

The only thing that made Allison sad was that she could not share the adventure with her best friend, the Hatter. She had asked him once if he would take the sweet also, but he merely shook his head no, wearing that characteristic grin of his.

"Hatter, I want to be able to fly with you," she told him one day. The Hatter smiled gently at her.

"I'm sorry Pixie. You look lovely when you fly though; I'm quite content just watching from down here."

"But there must be _some_ way we could fly together," she insisted gently.

"There might be one way..." mused the Hatter thoughtfully.

The next day, Allison and the Hatter went to the house of a weird, old inventor who lived in a cabin just outside the woods. It did not even faze Allison to see that he looked like a humanoid dinosaur.

"Hatter m'boy! Oh splendid to see you, oh yes indeed. It's just out back, in the field."

The Hatter thanked the kind man, named Alabaster, and Allison flashed him a bright smile, though she did not actually know what he was talking about. The Hatter had refused to tell her, insisting that she see it for herself.

Crossing around to the back of the house, Allison was in awe at the great contraption before them. In the middle of the inventor's backyard was a hot air balloon, poised and ready for liftoff.

The Hatter made an apologetic face.

"I know it isn't as, erm, exciting but it was the only way that we could fly together, see? We don't have to if you don't want to of course, it was just an idea."

"Hatter..." said Allison, laying a gentle hand on his arm. "I would love to." The Hatter paused for a moment, then smiled very happily at this. Offering her his hand, the Hatter helped the lady into the balloon. Circling the balloon, the Hatter released all of the ropes holding it down and he quickly leapt in just as the balloon began to lift into the sky.

"This is wonderful," she said quietly as they floated high above Underland.

"Yes," he agreed, "Yes it is."

"Once I would have thought that flying would be impossible for me," commented Allison.

"Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast," the Hatter replied immediately. Allison like this funny little phrase, but when she turned towards her friend, she saw that the smile had left his face. His eyes were downcast, and his shoulders had slouched a bit. He seemed entirely empty.

"Hatter?" The Hatter looked up at her, and she saw that his eyes were blue, just as she'd expected.

"Hatter, what's made you sad?"

The Hatter did not answer for a moment, instead gazing out at the view.

"Do you know the difference between a blue sky and a blue heart?" he asked softly. Allison slowly shook her head no. For once, the Hatter had the answer to his own riddle.

"A blue heart is much more vast."

Looking at her companion, Allison suddenly felt very sad. She didn't want him to feel that way. The Hatter had a face that should always be smiling, or laughing, or... anything else but sad and vacant. Gently, Allison reached out and took his hand, just as she had the time before. Being less surprised, the Hatter merely looked at their clasped fingers, and the sad look remained.

"Do you know what else is different about them?" she said. "A blue sky will remain blue for all of its days, but a blue heart will change over time."

The Hatter met Allison's eyes and smiled weakly.

"Do you think so? It's been such a long time already..."

"Of course I think so," she replied firmly, "Trust me Hatter. Please?"

The sincerity in Allison's eyes made her request impossible for him to refuse. Nodding gently, the Hatter gave her hand a squeeze, but did not let go. He found that his fingers were rather comfortable when intertwined with hers.

"Hatter! Oh, Hatter!" a voice called up to them. Allison and the Hatter peered down in surprise to see Alabaster shouting up at him. Standing at his side was Bayard, the old dog, and Mallymkun, the mouse. The Hatter tilted his head, confused.

"Please come down!" continued the old dinosaur-man. Seeming a bit worried, the Hatter did indeed land the balloon. His skill with it was rather impressive.

"Have you done that a lot?" Allison asked him as they walked over to the group of their friends.

"Nope! That was my first try," he told her. "I think I did rather well, as it is."

Allison was incredibly impressed that he had done so well on his first time, but there was no more time to discuss it. Still holding hands, Allison and the Hatter had made their way over to Alabaster and the others.

"They wanted to see you," said the inventor simply, before turning and heading back into his cottage. The Hatter reached down a hand to Mallymkun and she climbed from Bayard's back into the offered palm, standing confidently as the Hatter brought her closer to his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Hatter," she said, an urgent tone in her voice, "something terrible has happened!"

"Tell me," he commanded.

"It's Staye, the Knave of Hearts," she explained, "He's escaped. You've got to come back to the tea shop Hatter! The sentry can tell us more."

"The... who?" asked Allison in confusion. No one paid her any attention, but this did not bother her; by the look on the Hatter's face, something was most definitely very, very wrong.

"No time to waste then," said the Hatter, attempting a grim smile. Without another word, Mallymkun leapt back onto the dog's back. Bayard took off at a run, the Hatter sprinting after them. Seeing no other option, Allison chased her friends, feeling very, very worried.


	4. Running Away

**Chapter Four**

**~Running Away~**

"What's happened?" the Hatter shouted as he and the party following him rushed into the Tea Shop. The place was packed; indeed it looked as if all of the Hatter's friends in Underland who did not reside at the palace were currently smushed into his shop. Each and every face spoke terror.

"Ooooo he's freeeeeee!" cried an antic voice. Allison's head nervously snapped over at to the March Hare whose eyes were bugging out as he wrung his ears with his skittish paws.

"Calm down, my friend," soothed the Hatter briefly. "Someone, please. What has gone wrong?"

A small frog hopped forward, trembling uncontrollably. Allison was filled with pity for the creature.

"I saw it," squeaked the frog. "It was the Knave of Hearts. He overheard a few sentries talking about Allison, but he thought they meant Alice! Suddenly... suddenly he went mad, as if a fiery passion had overtaken him. He... he killed the Red Queen."

A frightened murmur spread through the shop like ripples. Friends clung to friends in fear. If this man could kill their most hated enemy, what else was he capable of?

"Then he... he k-... he killed my friend, one of the sentries, and he got the key to his handcuffs. I- I barely escaped. B-but now he's- he's free and he's going to come and and kill us all," cried the frog, hopping up and down anxiously.

As the frog finished speaking the room erupted in noise, everyone shouting, crying, scared out of their wits.

"Oh knock it off!" shouted Mallymkun. No one heard her.

"Everyone, please!" called out the Hatter instead. Everyone became quiet now, and the Hatter gestured for Mallymkun to continue.

"Alright, citizens of Underland," she declared powerfully, "No one else is going to die. We are aware of the threat, and we shall deal with it accordingly. I will not allow that pathetic wretch of life to harm any one of you. Now we must stay calm, or we _will_ perish."

"Have you ever considered a career in politics?" murmured Allison out of the corner of her mouth. Mallymkun turned to her quickly, looking rather surprised.

"You think I'd be a good politician?"

"Oh most definitely," affirmed Allison. The mouse fair beamed, but then cleared her throat to turn back to the room.

"Thank you everyone," she said to the quiet crowd. "Now, we must have organization. First, we need to find where the Knave of Hearts is at this very moment."

"I wouldn't worry about that..." came the Hatter's strangled whisper. Mallymkun and Allison turned to him in surprise. He seemed frozen.

"What?" demanded the Dormouse. "Hatter, don't be ridiculous! We _must know_ where he is!"

"Is that so, pipsqueak?" called out a very loud voice. Everyone in the room began to shriek, whirling around to face the imposing figure in the doorway as they all scrambled around chairs and over tables to reach the walls at the edges of the room. Only the Hatter, Mallymkun, and Bayard stood firm at the opposite end of the room. Even Allison shrank backwards a bit behind the Hatter, unnerved by this man who was clearly the escaped criminal.

He wore black clothes- a coat, gloves, boots, the works. His hair was shaggy and slimy, hanging down in waves past his shoulders. There was facial hair that was rather unbecoming to him- obviously he had not shaved in quite some time. Over his left eye was a red heart-shaped patch.

"Well well, we meet... again," taunted the man as he sauntered calmly into the room. He looked around him as if he were just any normal passerby looking for a warm spot to have a cup of tea.

"But where is Alice?" he asked. "I'm so longing to see her."

"Alice is nowhere where you will ever reach her," replied the Hatter defiantly, a mocking smile on his lips, an almost crazed look in his eyes. Allison felt a bit scared of her friend at this moment. What was going on in his head at that moment?

Suddenly Staye caught sight of Allison peeking out from behind Hatter. Staye smirked and stepped forward. The Hatter stepped more totally in front of Allison to counter his move.

"Oh but won't you let me see her?" pouted the Knave of Hearts. "I've been alone for _so very long_."

"She isn't Alice. She is someone else."

"I don't believe you!" snapped Staye suddenly, loud and furious, obviously an unstable man. Steeling herself, Allison stepped out from behind the Hatter.

"See for yourself, I am not Alice."

"No, I suppose I should rather call you... Um," mocked the man.

"What?" asked Allison confusedly.

"Don't play pretend sweetheart," he said. "Though I admit, you look... very different."

"That's because she isn't Alice," hissed the Hatter. "Leave us be."

"Even if she isn't Alice, she's from Alice's world, isn't she?" stated Staye. Looking intently at Allison, he was amused at how she shivered under his gaze. "This girl... could lead me straight _to_ Alice. ...Unfortunately, _Hatter_, you don't exactly fit into that equation."

The Hatter's brow crinkled at the vague statement. Suddenly the Knave drew out his sword, quick as a flash, waving it about threateningly. The room erupted once more in shrieks, this time followed by a flood of creatures running out the doors, away from the scene. Of those remaining (Hatter, Bayard, the March Hare, Mallymkun, and Allison), only Mallymkun was clearly angry at the cowards who fled, a fierce glare in her eyes.

Allison felt the Hatter pushing against her side forcefully, so obligingly she ran off to the side, away from him, out of harm's way. The Knave took a mere moment to look over at Allison, but while he was distracted-

The Hatter kicked out, landing a solid hit on the other's man stomach. Falling backwards, the Knave glared hatefully at the Hatter. Thinking quickly, the Hatter jumped over the counter, landing on the other side. Staye stood up straight, coming forward, eyes only for the Hatter.

Jumping up over the counter himself, Staye released a battle cry as he swung his sword down at the Hatter's head. His sword met with the wooden staff of a broom that the Hatter had picked up just in time.

"Run Pixie!" cried the Hatter. Needing no further encouragement, Allison took one last look at her struggling friend before dashing out of the room.

"No!" roared Staye, turning to follow her. Eyes widening nervously, the Hatter began to attack him with the broom, forcing the Knave to duck and face his attacker. Fighting intensely, the Hatter was not even able to see Allison run from the room, but he wished only that she would run far, far away, and be safe.

Allison sprinted across the grass, tears pricking at her eyes. Into the forest she went, dodging around large mushrooms and scratching herself many times on thin, prickly branches. Turning about ever so briefly to look behind her, Allison found she could no longer see the Tea Shop. Whirling back around, Allison slammed straight into a solid wall. Only it wasn't a wall.

"Pixie!"

"What you doing in the forest, Pixie?"

"If you were with the Hatter, you would be, but not, but no how because he isn't."

"But if he weren't, she might be besides."

"Why is she running then?"

"Leaving Pixie?"

"No way, no how. Pixie wouldn't leave. If she were to, she would, but she wouldn't."

"But she is!"

"I'm sorry, I have to keep going!" cried Allison, regretfully pushing past the kind, if confused, brothers. She did not see their shared look of disappointment as she continued onwards.

The forest seemed endless. The wind blew through her short hair and her wings fluttered gently, temptingly, as if they wished her to take off. But she knew she couldn't. If she flew away she would be an even more visible target. She had to keep running.

"Ahhhhh!" she screamed, coming to a screeching halt at the sight before her.

Right in her path, a floating head had suddenly appeared, a cat's head. Or so she thought. Then it smiled mischievously. With a puff the rest of the cat's body appeared, its blue striped tail curling under itself.

"And who have we here?" it asked, smiling brightly, its large eyes open wide with curiosity.

"I'm... I'm Pixie," she introduced cautiously. Was this creature good or bad? Was he even real, or was she simply going mad?

No, this was Underland. Of course he was real.

"Pixie," repeated the cat brightly. "Lovely. And where are you going, Pixie?"

"Away," she said desperately. "Away from here."

"Oh? But why is that?" he asked, a concerned expression on his face now, though it looked as though he was faking the concern. Mocking her perhaps? She couldn't be sure...

"The Knave of Hearts. I don't know what's going on but... he's escaped captivity, and he's come after me. The Hatter is fighting him off and told me to run," she blurted out.

"The Hatter you say? Fighting the Knave of Hearts?" said the cat in wonder, looking thoughtful suddenly. "And you say you ran. Obviously not Alice then."

Allison's eyebrows went up at this statement.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well you see Pixie, I wasn't quite sure. I'd heard about you coming to Underland, and the rumors didn't seem to know if you were truly Alice or not. Now I know that you must _not_ be."

"Why?"

"Alice would never have run."

Allison stopped cold.

"I didn't... the Hatter _told _me to. I didn't have a choice!"

"Oh no no, don't think I'm reprimanding you!" assured the silky feline, smiling tauntingly. "No, not at all. Alice was silly. I always find running to be the better option as well. It's only that... well Alice never would have abandoned the Hatter. But I perfectly agree with _your_ choice my dear. ... Well, I suppose I've blocked your way quite enough. You must be off."

Allison watched dumbstruck as the cat's body began to disappear, leaving only his head.

"Perhaps I can finally get the Hatter's hat..." the cat murmured thoughtfully. "He certainly won't be needing it anymore..."

Now the head too was fading away.

"What does that mean?" shouted Allison desperately, looking around shakily for the creature that she could no longer see. Despite her frustration, Allison forced herself to pause and take a moment to collect herself.

Breathing deeply, Allison bottled her feelings, forcing herself to think. What could she do? Where could she go? Who could help her?

Who could help the Hatter?

Should she go back for him?

The thoughts spun maddeningly in Allison's mind. Finally it was too much.

"Please, come back!" she yelled, whirling around urgently. Allison jumped a bit when the head reappeared once more, very close to her.

"Yes Pixie?" With firm resolve, Allison looked the cat in the eyes determinedly.

"I want you to take me to the Blue Butterfly."


	5. Taking a Stand

"What do you want, pathetic girl?"

"You can call me all the names you want, I don't care," said Allison fiercely, "Only tell me what to do."

"And what do you need _my _advice for?" asked the deep voice.

"Well... I'm confused, that's all," she said shakily. "I never meant to even come to Underland, but when I did... well it was wonderful! Everything was so nice. It's beautiful here. I got wings, I made friends...

"_Dear_ friends," she whispered painfully, thinking of the Hatter. Shaking it off, she continued, "But then it all changed. This... man got free and he came after me. I never thought something bad like that could happen here! That's not what I wanted! And the Hatter told me to run. So I did."

There was a pause.

"Well?" pressed Allison anxiously.

"We cannot all get what we want," drawled the Blue Butterfly. "You truly are a pathetic girl."

"So you think I should go back to the Hatter?" she asked, her palms sweating at the mere thought.

"Well you will not be able to do much for him now," he replied. "Clearly what's done is done. The Hatter may not even be there when you return."

"Don't say that."

"It is the truth. It is your own fault for being so quick to leave him. But you will never know what happened if you do not go back."

Allison paused as she thought through this.

"I'm terrified," she said honestly.

"Yes, because you are a pathetic girl."

"I'm _not_."

"Then prove it," replied the butterfly calmly. Slowly its wings began to flap. "I grow tired of this. Do what you will, I cannot be expected to handle your own problems."

Allison remained quiet, struck silent by his comment. It was almost as if he were daring her. Allison's eyes followed the strikingly blue butterfly as it lifted up and flew away. Blinking her eyes calmly, she felt strangely calm. Turning away from the vacant tree stump, Allison pushed her way through the fronds in her path.

"I'm going back," she proclaimed aloud, knowing full well that the vanishing cat was somewhere nearby.

As she walked away, Allison was convinced that she heard the softest hint of laughter echoing behind her.

..-..

The moment Allison stepped into the clearing of the tea shop, a sorrowful feeling filled her insides. The neon sign was broken and hanging lopsided, and the entire shop was burnt. Allison could see black marks trailing all up the wooden structure, showing where the fire had licked up at the bottom.

The only positive thing was that the tea shop had not completely burnt down. This meant that someone must have put out the fire.

Treading carefully, Allison crossed the grassy field, coming to a halt just outside the doorway. Peering inside, Allison found that it was too dark to see much of anything.

"Hatter?" she whispered hesitantly, stepping over the threshold. The solemn creak of the wooden floor was her only response.

The inside of the shop was just as burned as the outside, and many of the tables and chairs were overturned, lying dismally on their sides. Scanning the floor—hoping desperately not to see any bodies unless it was the Knave's—Allison caught sight of something dark. A puddle. Moving closer, it became clear to Allison what it was.

Blood. A shiver ran down her back and she bit her lip, but otherwise she kept a tight control on her emotions. Panicking now would do nothing to help the Hatter. Allison continued to look, soon catching sight of a trail, a slight trickle of blood across the floor. Following it, Allison made her way to the stairway. Glancing up and away from the floor, Allison slowly began to climb the rickety staircase, hearing the creak of each step as loudly as bullets, her heart pounding furiously.

At the top of the staircase was a narrow hallway with three rooms: two on the left, one on the right.

_No use just standing here_, Allison told herself. With that in mind, she walked quickly to the first door on the left and opened it quickly. What she saw inside made her breath catch and tears well up in her eyes, though she'd sworn to herself that she would avoid any waterworks.

Walking slowly up to the bed, Allison's eyes were fixated on the bloody sheets, and what lay on top of them.

Bayard, the kind old dog. There was a massive gash in his side. The Knave must have stabbed him with his sword.

Allison knelt down beside the bed. Calmly she reached out and petted Bayard's head gently.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry I'll never get to... get to see you again, or talk to you again. You're probably the sanest creature I've met in Underland. You were so kind to me, showing me around with the Hatter, giving me friendly advice. You are so wise, and so good, and I know that you must be very brave. I'll miss you so much."

By the end of this, Allison's eyes had overflowed and she could feel the wet streaks down her cheeks as she struggled to force her breathing to be normal again, as opposed to the gasping breaths she had currently. Once she had calmed herself down, Allison stood once more, her original purpose still blazing in her mind.

_Find the Hatter_.

Shutting the door quietly behind her, Allison crossed to the door across the hall. Upon opening it, she saw that it was a bathroom, and nothing of importance was in there. Forcing herself to take calm breaths, Allison crossed the hallway, stopping outside the last door.

With a squeak, the knob turned and the door swung open to reveal the room's contents. Rushing into the room, Allison was stunned for a moment. On the bed lay another of her friends, Mallymkun. Then, lying on the floor beside the bed, was the Hatter.

Allison rushed first to Mallymkun, getting close to her and inspecting her body carefully. There were no sword marks, but there was no doubt that the Dormouse was out cold. Allison only hoped that she was in fact only unconscious, not dead. She had no idea how to check this fact on a mouse.

Moving on, knowing there was nothing she could do, Allison ran around the bed to the other side. The Hatter lay deathly still on the floor. Kneeling on the cold wooden floor next to him, Allison could see quite clearly that his clothes had been sliced up somewhat, and blood had seeped through in a few places, most noticeably from a spot on the back of his head. The wounds were no longer bleeding, but the blood was thick, damp, and an unnerving, dark red color.

Allison placed her ear on top of the Hatter's chest, listening desperately for a heartbeat.

She found it.

Almost crying with relief, Allison heavily sat back on her butt, looking upon the Hatter with such adoration and joy. Gently she brushed a bit of his unruly orange hair off of his face, caressing his face softly as she did so. With a sigh, Allison took one of the Hatter's hands in her own and, laying down beside him, fell quickly asleep as most of the tension left her body.


	6. Never Leaving

_Author's note: Thank you for reading! I'm sorry the chapters aren't longer, but I never seem to have enough time. Please review!_

* * *

><p>"Pixie?" whispered a hoarse voice. Her nerves must have been on red alert even as she'd slept, because Allison's eyes shot open immediately. Allison was greeted by the sight of the Hatter's pale face turned towards her, his gray eyes meeting her gaze.<p>

"Hello Hatter," she whispered back.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm just fine," she assured him, her stomach twisting with guilt. "You're an awful mess though." The Hatter smiled weakly.

_Sorry_, he mouthed.

_It's ok_, she mouthed back. As she'd slept, Allison had curled into the Hatter, her arm laid gently over his chest. Somehow she didn't feel like moving at the moment. Instead, she clutched at the fabric of his shirt for comfort.

"Pixie?"

"Yes Hatter?"

"I'm... sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"The Knave... he escaped," came his strangled whisper. He sounded so despairing, so ashamed. Allison bit her lip to keep from crying.

"You don't have to apologize for that, silly," she whispered back. "I'm just glad you're alright. And I... I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry that I... that I ran."

"Pixie!" The Hatter was clearly taken aback by her apology. He may have been about to say something more, but Allison got there first. By this time, her emotions had finally overcome her, and she was struggling to control her breathing.

"I- I- I shouldn't have... run... Shouldn't have left y-... And, and now _you_, and Mallymkun, are hurt and... and Bayard... Bayard is... And if I hadn't... It was me he wanted, not... not any of you, I'm sorry, I'm so _sorry_ Hatter!"

The Hatter could not bear to see his Pixie crying and trembling so. Each halted breath and each new tear broke his heart into smaller and smaller pieces. Grabbing her hand, he squeezed gently.

"Oh, no no no," he cried softly, a sad frown on his face. "Don't say sorry, Pixie. It was not your fault, no no. You have done nothing wrong. It was right of you to run, just like I _asked_ you to! I wanted nothing more than your safety. It was unfair for you to have been put in that position in the first place. The troubles of Underland are not your troubles."

The Hatter soothed Allison as she continued to cry, stroking her hair calmly and making 'shhh' noises. After a time her tears subsided and she quieted down. It was at this time that the room's third occupant finally came to.

"Hatter?" Startled, the Hatter jolted a bit before smiling in relief. Turning his head to Allison, he smiled and lifted her arm off so that he could jump to his feet. Allison followed suit, but soon felt ashamed when she realized that she was cowering behind the Hatter because she was afraid that Mallymkun would be angry with her.

Mallymkun took a few more moments to blink herself awake and orient herself. As soon as she had, she jumped up on the bed and immediately drew her sword, hopping around, looking for any dangers.

"What happened? Did we get him? Where did that lousy man go to?" she snapped. The Hatter giggled a bit at his friend's behavior.

"You must rest, little one," he reprimanded gently, kneeling by the bed, propping his head up on the bed in a way that Allison felt made him look like an adorable puppy dog.

Mallymkun scoffed at his remark.

"Rest? I will _not_ rest until I have that- that- _cretin's_ blood on my sword!"

"And yet, you must!" exclaimed the Hatter lightly. Reaching out with his finger, he gently pushed Mallymkun back down onto the bed. She stayed there for a moment, before spotting Allison. She leapt back to her feet, causing the Hatter to sigh and shake his head.

"Pixie! What are _you_ doing back here?" cried the mouse.

"I came back," was the meek reply, "I'm sorry Mallymkun, I know I shouldn't have run, but I-"

"I'm not mad at you!" she cut in loudly. "I just thought you'd have gone and hid out somewhere, for safety!"

Allison fair beamed at the little solider, relieved that she wasn't angry.

"Well I couldn't stay away from you all for _too_ long," she replied with a teasing air.

"_Rest_, my friend," insisted the Hatter. "You are still weak.

"I know!" His sudden bright exclamation made Allison jump a bit. The Hatter leapt to his feet, an impossibly goofy grin on his face. "How about I go make us all a bit of mmm-breakfast! Yes, that's it. Just the trick! A spot of tea, a bit of toast, a piece of ham..."

Rushing around Allison, the Hatter pranced out of the room, still chanting about food. After making sure that the Dormouse was following her orders to stay abed, Allison quickly left the room, following the Hatter downstairs.

She found him at the stove—an abrasively pink apron tied around his middle—frying up some bacon and eggs, whistling as he worked.

Coming up behind him, Allison rolled her eyes fondly and flicked his arm. He turned to her with surprise and grinned brightly. The very sight brought an equally bright smile to Allison's face. After the horrible events of the previous night, the Hatter's colorful, cheerful appearance was really the best cure. It was quite impossible to be sad around that flaming hair, blazing clothes, and pearly shining teeth.

"Pixie! What are you doing down here? Want a bite?" The Hatter raised his eyebrows questioningly as he held out a piece of toast, but when Allison opened her mouth to respond, he merely placed the toast in her mouth quickly.

"Well, thank you for the toast," she said, swallowing the bite and handing the rest back to him, "but no, that's not why I came down."

"Oh? Then why did you?" Allison felt the color rise in her cheeks and her heart fluttered anxiously.

"Well I just couldn't bear the thought of being away from you, not right now," she admitted. "I wanted to keep you in my sight."

The Hatter immediately understood, and he gained a serious tone.

"I see. Well, you do not need to worry Pixie. I shall never leave you."

"But... Bayard, he..."

When the Hatter met her eyes, his own eyes were a dull blue.

"Yes I know," he whispered sadly. The energy seemed to have left his body. Knowing that the same sadness had overcome them both, Allison stepped boldly forward and wrapped her arms tightly around the Hatter. Hesitantly, with sharp awkward movements, the Hatter wrapped his own arms around her and rested his head on hers. The tears were flowing from her eyes now, and the Hatter also released a lone tear.

"Bayard was brave," he whispered to her, "and he did what he knew was right. He would be happy with this. His time was fast approaching as it was. This does not make it ok, but he would wish us to understand and to move on."

"Just please..." Allison drew away from the Hatter and stared him in the eye. "...promise me Hatter... promise me that you'll never leave me."

"Never," he whispered sweetly, a small smile playing about his lips. "I would never leave you, my little Pixie."

The Hatter gently stroked Allison's hair and enveloped her in another, softer, embrace.


End file.
